2022 Pirie Millésime Prestige Blanc de Blancs, Tasmania

Sourced from the best chardonnay block at Kayena vineyard and only released in the best years; 25% left on lees in old French oak. Pale straw with an energetic bead and mousse. Aromas of lemon, grapefruit, white peach and green apples with hints of clover blossom and meadow flowers, petrichor, crushed sea shells, sourdough starter, mushroom broth, fresh pastries, crème fraîche and lemon curd. Elegant and expansive on the palate with a detailed flow of pure citrus and apple fruits, a fine mineral cadence, perfectly simpatico autolysis tones and a stony, dry finish with ample drive and tension. Drink to 2036.

96 points Dave Brookes for Halliday Wine Companion, May 2026

The 2022 Millésime Prestige Blanc de Blancs is chalky and mineral, with a nose of lemon pith and wet limestone, crushed shells, brine and gentle toast. The grapes were handpicked, had a 100% malolactic fermentation and then were pressed to 500 liters per tonne, and the wine spent three years on tirage. Oak is trialed, but the end result is "very little." This excellent wine is tense, tight and mineral. I really like it. It had nine grams per liter dosage and was not fined at bottling. Drink to 2036.

95 points Erin Larkin for The Wine Advocate, March 2026

Glistening bubbles release fragrant lemon zest, apple sorbet and shortbread biscuits. A moment to breathe in the glass reveals the delicate florals of jasmine and wattle; beginning to flower in the early days of spring. In the mouth, sea shell minerality opens into a seamless fusion of yuzu curd and crisp filo pastry. There’s gorgeous flavour that lingers on the palate…and then keeps going. The refinement of the mousse and the crispness of acidity might have you guessing at an origin more Gallic than Tasmanian. This is fair – the grapes come from the ultra cool climate Kayena vineyard in the Tamar Valley. From there, the wine is made just like Champagne: hand-picked, gentle pressing, some base wine (25%) aged in old French oak, second fermentation in bottle and 2 1/2 years on lees. Tasmanian sparkling keeps going from strength to strength and it’s examples like this enchantress that reinforce its unique place on the world stage. Drink 2030.

95 points Nicole Bilson for Wine Pilot, March 2026

Plenty of energy and brightness in the glass. Lifted aromas of green apple, citrus, nectarine, fresh pastries, and white flowers. Fine, dry and mouth-filling, with apple, grapefruit and pithy acidity at play. Long and textured. Drink to 2036.

93 points Aaron Brasher for The Real Review, June 2026

The 2022 Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs delivers a piercing core of vibrant aromas, with melon and pear lifted by fine autolytic elements that are beautifully integrated. A powerhouse of precision and focus, it is driven by searing acidity with yeasty, toasty complexity building over a lingering finish

92 points Angus Hughson for Vinous, July 2026

A 100% Chardonnay, the fruit for this sparkling wine came from the Kayena Vineyard in Tamar Valley. The grapes were top loaded to an air bag press for gentle pressing ahead of a cool fermentation in stainless steel. A quarter of the blend matured on lees in older French oak barrels, and the components were allowed full malolactic conversion. The components were then blended and bottled for secondary fermentation in bottles, with the wine spending 2.5 years on lees ahead of disgorgement.

About this producer

Pirie Tasmania was founded by Dr. Andrew Pirie, the trailblazing viticulturist who was a leader in establishing the fine wine credentials of Tasmania’s northeastern corner and who remains one of the most influential figures in Tasmanian wine.

The Brown Family Wine Group, of Brown Brothers and Tamar Ridge note, has built on his substantial legacy since 2010. Senior winemaker Tom Wallace’s team can confidently state that Pirie Tasmania remains one of Australia’s best addresses for traditional bottle fermented sparkling wines, with an enviable track record of critical acclaim.